Streamlining a refined production process is the foundation of manufacturing. For seven years the Jes Wade Atelier located in the TriBeCa neighborhood of NYC used innovative design to grow production and manufacture over 4,000 luxury made-to-order garments. The Jes Wade manufacturing facility also took responsibility for all repairs as an opportunity to learn about how our construction techniques and unique materials held up with wear and allowed for continuous improvement of our product.
I believe, and it is what I practice, that innovative design can only occur with a full understanding of technique and how an object is built and constructed. It is with an understanding of the technical process that a designer innovates and improves upon existing techniques. It is by working directly with the technologies (in this case pattern makers, seamstresses and machines) that product continues to evolve. Additionally design that innovates with an understanding of the maker technology will make choices that encourage production agility and save time and resources. At the Jes Wade Atelier we saw every style manufactured as an opportunity to re-evaluate the manufacturing process.
As a design driven manufacturer we also strongly believed in our suppliers. When closely connected to suppliers one can work to understand their production techniques and use them as a tremendous resource. At the Jes Wade Atelier we worked with both NYC and international suppliers with the goal to recognize their resources and identify inventive process for future developments.
THE END OF AN ERA
On July 8th, 2016 we closed the couture manufacturing capabilities of the Jes Wade Atelier.
UPCYCLING WITH SCISSOR HANDS
Two months before closing the couture capabilities of the Jes Wade Atelier we developed the Jes Wade Scissor Hand collection around a new concept of sustainable production practices.
The Scissor Hand collection is the sustainable practice of upcycling or "creative reuse." We take ready-made garments and transform them in the design atelier like we would any "raw" material. These ready-made garments cut back on the unnecessary energy consumption and waste created when clothing, especially something as repetitive as a t-shirt, is newly produced in small quantities.
We upcycle a ready-made garment by transforming into a style with intricate details and attention to placement and proportion. The resulting style keeps true to our luxury brand identity at a price point that is accessible and e-commerce friendly.